Air conditioning apparatus



2 G, A. KE

I AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 2]., 1946 JNVENTOR. 6%., Kefley BY and; flZZb/Wg/ Patented Aug. 23, 1949 2,479,936 AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Gilbert A. Kelley, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Surface Combustion, Corporation,

corporation of Ohio Toledo, Ohio, a

Application December 21, 1946, Serial No. 717,664

The invention relates to apparatus for conditioning air by means requiring the use of a hygroscopic solution, such as a solution of lithium chloride, for abstracting moisture from the air. Because the absorption of moisture by a hygroscopic solution is accompanied by a rise in temperature of the solution, it is customary to provide in the dehumidifying zone a heat exchanger through which a stream of cold water may be passed and over which the solution may spread out in the form of films for exposure to the air which is to, be deh'umidified. To conserve water supplies it is customary to recool the water for recirculation. The present invention has for its general object to provide improvement in ways andmeans for utilizing water for abstracting heat from the solution through a heat conducting wall.-

For a consideration of what I consider to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following specification and the claims appended thereto. a

In the accompanying drawin forming part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an air conditioning apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 illustrates the nature of the improvement embodied in Fig. 1, the view being a vertical transverse section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with an intermediate duplicate portion omitted as indicated by the space between the vertical broken lines in Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of enough of theapparatus shown in Fig. 2 to facilitate a ready understanding of the nature of the improvement.

The air conditioning apparatus as a whole comprises an upright casing l which defines a passage for the air to be dehumidified. Intermediate the ends of said casing, there is a dehumidifying zone I formed by the apparatus shown in Fig. 2, this apparatus providing among other things an extended surface along which hygroscopic solution is free to spread out for exposure to the air flowing through the casing, the solution being applied to said surface in any preferred way as presently explained. The air to be conditioned enters the casing l0 through a top inlet l2. After having passed through the dehumidifying zone H, the air leaves the casing through a side outlet 13. A centrifugal blower [4 whose suction side is connected with the air outlet [3 causes the air to enter and flow through the casing. A duct I5 connects with the pressure side of the blower 2Claims. (c1. 62-139) 2 for conducting the dehumidified air to the place of use. a At the bottom of the casing In there is a tank I 6 for a body of hygroscopic solution. Solution from thistank is pumped through a pipe line I! having a pump Hi to a spray means 20 in the upper part of the casing Ill so that the solution may be applied to the extended surface in the dehumidifying zone [I to expose the solutionto the air flowing through the casing, it being understood that the solution flows by gravity from the spray means over said extended surface and thence to the tank l6 for recirculation after being reconcentrated as presently explained.

To maintain the solution in the tank 16 at a predetermined concentration, a portion thereof is constantly withdrawn for concentration and then returned to the main body'of the solution in the tank. The concentrator may comprise an internally heated radiator 21 over which solution drawn from the tank l6 by a pump 22 is caused to flow whereby to'heat the solution to a sufficiently elevated temperature to drive off moisture fromthe solution. The'radiator is positioned in an air casing 24 so that a current of air through a the casing will carry away the water vapor from the solution. The air enters the casing through a top inlet 25 and leaves through a side outlet 26. Afcentrifugal blower 21 whose suction side connects with the outlet 26 isthe means which causes the air to flow through'the casing. A duct 28 at the pressure side of the blower conducts the mixture of air and water vapor to waste as to the outside atmosphere. At the bottom of the casing 24 is a tank-3E1 whereinto the solution drips from the radiator 2|. The solution is pumped from the tank 39 to the tank 16 by a pump 3| in a return line 32. i

In the present invention, the means in the dehumidifying zone H for bringing the hygroscopic solution and the air to be dehumidified into intimate contact with each other comprises the exterior surface of a bank of relatively tall and laterally narrow tunnels 33 which extend through and beyond the dehumidifying zone I l in a horizontal direction, the tunnels being arranged in spaced relation to provide air passages 34 therebetween for the air to be dehumidified. In Fig. 3, the vertical arrows 29 indicate the current of air flowing through the casing l0. As will be readily understood from Fig. 2, the hygroscopic solution from the spray means 2!] spreads over the exterior surface of the tunnels and eventually drips into the tank [6. The passage through the tunnels is indicated at 35.

As previously indicated, the absorption of moisture by the hygroscopic solution is accompanied by a rise in temperature of the solution with consequent decrease in its moisture-absorbing capacity and heretofore it has been common practice to remove this heat of moisture absorption by indirect heat exchange with cold water flowing through a heat exchanger whose exterior prgyides an extended surface. for'filmshof the. hygroscopic solution, it being apparent that this method of heat exchange presupposes an exterior source of;

supply of cold water. In the presentinyention a high velocity current of air from the outside at- :mosphere is passed through the tunnekpassages 35 for a purpose presentlyappearing;rThis tour Irent of air through the tunnels is produced by a centrifugal blower 36 whose suctio ngside ,is nected by a duct 31 with one end of the bank of tunnels. indicate the current ofr air as coming from the t nn -p ss e 5 PifiQgNfiY-JEOJH? suc io siee f r bw 1 e we ges. rz m ut'srde. atmospher .to the,- inlet: side, oetn .n soi ii l re tadnct 41 e tend n f om e pr 1'- 1 iii; u 'ha i tlie present invention, filins ofv water are applied to the m le all surface of the; tunnels 3- ttQ -fl p nd t a th ailm t 1 ei vth usn h mafia-sanity cool water partial evaporafiipn thereof whereby to maintain the films of -2110s ic 'so'l on the exterior wall surface 6 the tuririejl r avamogi vby transfer of heat from said solution to the films of water byway of e' rtii'riiiel w alls as ll-now; be readily under: side liuinvapo t t k 55 l b-W i h ,ma wat s ded by a i e i i ema 41 su p an .h 't L t, ttling valve controlled by a float 4 4 in w lqyt maintain atconstant level f {gate the tank Ti'ieyratenfi om the tank 42 "'n fi d Q,5l, I l/', I1;1ans 4 leach tunnel a' pipeline 46 having a pump 41 for that sure side of the blower 36 conducts the L a ex la a ion it liba seen ention proyides a v, r e1,ati.ve1y .ms hgd (and. apparatus for. ins of hygroscopic solution in J ipg zorre relatively cool without 5 655 95 ve' us pf cooling water and without il l g 'ge 1 irol l ie lmeen rquts d 0f t rig ill forthe evaporative cooling of the water L -.,Z ar ati l i e n a ell a pted for use in homes where i 1 .a r 2' What is claimed as new is:

In Fig. 3, the horizontal arrowsw38' wa er dr n i a spaced bodies collectively.fo'rr'nir'fg in said zone anflex-tended contact surface for said air and solution, means for wetting said contact surface with running films of said solution, each of said bodies compr-ising a relatively tall and laterally narrow tunnel which traverses said casing from sideytossidel and thereby provides a closed passagewaythrough said zone crosswise thereof, means for wetting the inside surface of the several ,t unnels with running films of water, and means for producing a current of air through said tunnels to abstract heat from the running films of water by partial evaporation thereof whereby then films of Water are maintained suf ficiently cool, to absorb heat from the filmsof hygroscopic solution through the walls of the tunnels I k I l M r.l. 2 .Apparatusfor;c0nditioning. air by the-use of a hygroscopic soiutionacomprising, in combination, means, for producing: a current of the air to b nditioned, .arcasing-having a zone through ich thetair flows, a-source of supply of said-hygroscopic; solution, a plurality of laterally spaced bodies collectively forming' insaid zone an 'extended contact surface .for said air and solution, means for wetting. said contact surfacawith running qfilms of said solution, I each of jsaidbodies comprising the exterior walls of a-re1ativelytall and laterally narrow tunnel-which provides-a closed passageway through said zone crosswise thereof, means for wetting the inside surface of the; several tunnels with runnihg filmsof water, and means forproducing a current of air through the severaltunnels to abstract heat from the run-' ning films of water by partial evaporation thereof whereby the films loft-water are maintained sufficiently cool to absorb heat from thefi-lrns of hygroscopic solution through the walls of the tunnels. i V I GILBERT A. KELLEY. lv',j i'jc f'flll REFERENCES CITED --'lhefollowig references are of. record in the file of thispatent: p H g 7 UNITEb STATES PATENTS 

